Burningum looked at Mo Chen, confused and unsure.
"I-I don't know of any mineral deposits, nor any coordinates tied to resources. I-If I did, I would've already sent people to collect them."
He wasn't lying, this was the truth.
Mo Chen raised an eyebrow.
"You really don't know about that offshore deposit, more than 400 kilometers from the Ark?"
He remembered it from the original story.
Under the intense gaze of everyone present, Burningum hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Mo Chen and finally spoke.
"I-I came across a record from before the first invasion. There was a set of coordinates—compared to other areas, the number of Raptures there was less than a quarter, and the resource reserves were extremely impressive."
"With current mining technology, and sufficient investment, it-it could be mined indefinitely. But… that information is very old. It's hard to verify its authenticity after all this time."
Burningum was puzzled: that coordinate was something he had seen by chance in a family record, classified information handed down across generations. It was written by someone who once served as an official in the predecessor of the Central Government.
How did Mo Chen know about it?
The Ark's AI, Enikk, looked at Burningum.
"Deputy Chief, may I request the source of this intelligence?"
Burningum hesitated briefly before answering.
"It comes from a written family record passed down for generations. It was left by someone who once worked as an administrative officer in the early Central Government. I believe, as reference material, it should hold a certain level of credibility."
Then it suddenly dawned on Burningum: Mo Chen had already seized control of the Ark.
Recalling how Mo Chen had infiltrated the Ark's communication network a few months ago only reinforced this. Unbeknownst to everyone, Mo Chen had likely already accessed many classified databases—bit by bit gaining dominion over every aspect of the Ark.
This wasn't just a question.
It was a test.
But instead of fear, Burningum felt a rush of excitement.
Mo Chen was finally about to make his move on the Ark.
Burningum, whose heart had long ached over the Ark's decay, had tolerated the corruption of the elite out of necessity. But if the Ark were to fall into Mo Chen's hands, a purge—perhaps even a rebirth—was inevitable.
A new era for the Ark was coming.
"…Hum," Mustang said, hands crossed beneath his chin after some thought. "If it's you saying this, then it's probably worth the trust."
No one else objected.
Clearly, Burningum's efforts to save humanity hadn't gone unnoticed.
After some consideration, Ingrid added, "That's true… If there are no better alternatives, this is our only shot. At the very least, we can start by sending a survey team."
Viable mines were dwindling fast. Most were either too difficult with too few resources or too dangerous due to Rapture presence. Those with real value were increasingly rare.
Mustang muttered, "…So, where exactly is this place, Yo? That golden Paradise…"
After reaching a consensus, the meeting concluded swiftly.
Mo Chen exited the conference room.
His target—those distant resources out at sea.
Mo Chen gave a faint smile. His objective for this meeting had been accomplished.
"P-please, wait a moment."
A stammering voice came from behind. Mo Chen turned to see Burningum catching up, breathless and sweating.
"What is it?" Mo Chen asked.
As the Navy's Deputy Chief, Burningum was an important piece in this operation.
After catching his breath, Burningum quickly said, "That record is quite old, and the data associated with it was lost. There are no navigation coordinates. It's very easy to get lost at sea. Please, allow me some time: I'll gather all the related information I can on that coordinate."
Even if the record and the coordinates were genuine, it was far too old to guarantee they could actually find mineral resources there.
The sea was much more dangerous than land.
"Oh, that's what you're worried about?"
Mo Chen nodded slightly, already understanding what Burningum meant.
Burningum pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodding quickly. "Yes, that's it exactly."
Mo Chen chuckled.
"There's no need to investigate."
"No need to investigate?"
Burningum froze. "But if we don't investigate and something unexpected happens… I suggest sending a preliminary unit to scout the area and clear any obstacles for future action."
Mo Chen smiled again. He was pretty cautious—no wonder he'd risen so high.
"No need."
"But…"
"No need," Mo Chen said again as he stepped forward and patted Burningum on the shoulder.
"None of that matters… right?"
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Burningum behind.
Doesn't matter?
Burningum was dumbfounded.
The Ark's resources were about to run dry: how could that not matter?
He couldn't understand it. Wasn't this whole operation about securing resources?
Wait a second…
Burningum's eyes narrowed as he recalled Mo Chen's meaningful smile.
Could it be… the Commander wasn't after the resources at all?
If that were true, then it all made sense.
But then, what could possibly be more important?
He knew very well that deploying the Admire required an enormous amount of resources.
Admire…
A thought suddenly struck Burningum.
That's it.
Mo Chen was doing all this for the Admire. More precisely—for the Navy.
In the early days of the Ark, when things were relatively prosperous, the Navy was established to demonstrate power.
But since the Ark was underground, the Navy had little use. The Admire, being so costly to build and even more expensive to maintain, had become a burden. Each deployment was a massive expenditure.
Public discontent grew over such a "useless" warship. Some higher-ups even proposed scrapping the Admire altogether.
But now, whether they found resources or not, just deploying the Admire would prove that the Navy still had value—and the Navy's standing within the Ark would rise accordingly.
More importantly, Burningum's own status would also rise.
That pat on the shoulder from Mo Chen had clearly been a silent message. The meaning was obvious.
With just a few words, he had shifted the Ark's entire strategic direction.
Recalling the meeting, even though Mo Chen hadn't spoken much, every word he did say had steered the course of the discussion.
Burningum thought of Mo Chen's smile—unfathomable—and felt a deep sense of reverence rise within him.